John Bradshaw Layfield is both a veteran of the ring and the one calling the shots inside. Speaking on “Something to fight for” The WWE Hall of Famer opened up about who he thinks was the gold standard in wrestling play-by-play, and he didn’t hesitate to name the person he worked most closely with during his time there behind the desk.
“Michael, to me, is the GOAT,” JBL said of longtime WWE commentator Michael Cole. “Michael is the greatest of all time, period. And that’s no offense to our good friend JR and Gordon Solie, who I didn’t know. JR was legendary. We talk about great and greatest; we don’t let’s not talk about great and one that’s not good, I put Michael Cole, Gordon Solie and Jim Ross in the top three.
JBL suggested that Cole is often overlooked in the conversation because of his background as a heel character and the challenge of replacing an icon like Jim Ross. Beyond depicting the events on screen, JBL also credited Cole with contributing to the overall growth of WWE. He called Cole a “genius” at juggling play-by-play and commercials, while Vince McMahon barked orders in his ear.
“There’s a big difference in what Michael has now,” JBL said. “When you’ve already signed the deal with Netflix, you can comment differently. Now he doesn’t have Vince in his ear, so there’s no overproduction… Now Michael can just s ‘sit down and call the sport He’s fantastic, man.’
The Syracuse University alumnus began receiving his flowers in recent years, with JR saying Cole was doing his best. Former WWE creative writer Freddie Prinze Jr. also praised Cole’s play-by-play.
But when it came to the best color commentator, Layfield’s choice was no surprise. “There is no doubt that Bobby Heenan was the greatest of all time,” he said.
